India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment has entered into an agreement with Microsoft wherein the software major has committed to encouraging over 15,000 employers and partners from its extensive international network onto the Ministry’s National Career Service (NCS) platform. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to this effect in the presence of Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, in New Delhi.
The partnership will ensure that India’s workforce is prepared for global opportunities, as it will see Microsoft’s partner ecosystem being leveraged to widen employer outreach and enhance NCS adoption among industry, training partners, and institutions.
Not only will formal job access increase but high-growth sectors will receive support, which will, in turn, result in development of a skilled workforce for the country as well as the world. More avenues will be created for Indian youth and professionals to access opportunities outside the country.
The MoU will lead to the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven skilling initiatives through DigiSaksham, equipping millions of young people with future-ready capabilities in AI, cloud technologies, cybersecurity and productivity tools.
This will lead to the creation of a workforce aligned with global standards and emerging industry needs.
According to Mandaviya, the collaboration is founded on a common desire to tap the potential of the youth in the country and build a talent pool that is skilled, future ready and prepared for the globally competitive market.
With Microsoft’s active involvement, job access will be accelerated, there will be deeper skilling and Indian youth will lead in terms of global labour mobility.
The Minister also revealed that with the integration of AI into platforms such as e-Shram and the National Career Service, social protection has been strengthened and India is now about to attain the goal of social protection for 100 crore citizens by March of 2026.
The country has already achieved a commendable coverage of 64.3 per cent this year, compared to 19 per cent a decade ago, bringing social protection to more than 94 crore citizens.
Satya Nadella too appreciated how the e-Shram initiative has provided social security to millions of unorganised workers. He conveyed that Microsoft was keen to support India’s journey toward building an Employment Digital Public Infrastructure (Employment DPI).
Microsoft’s strong Azure and AI capabilities align with Ministry’s priorities for strengthening the NCS platform, e-Shram analytics and labour market intelligence, and modernising employment services and job-matching systems.
